He said that while the number of students per classroom is not yet the ideal ratio, incoming public school students will have enough classrooms to use this year.
He said that instead of the ideal 30 to 35 students, or the target of 40 to 45 students per classroom, the City will have 50 to 55 students each classroom to accommodate everyone.
“Wala’y klase under the mango tree. We just need to lower the student ratio of 40 to 45 per classroom. Instead of the ideal, there would be 50 to 55 in some classrooms,” he said.
And the enrolment trend is that the number of enrollees is declining through the years, Young said.
This is a cause for alarm, he added, as it could mean that parents can no longer afford to send their children even to public schools.
Young, however, said that students of Sirao and from the neighboring mountain barangays need not worry because two school buildings the City is constructing will be finished next week.
He mentioned this to correct a report (not in Sun.Star Cebu) that the school will not be ready when classes open.
The City is constructing new school buildings for Sirao in Sitio Tawagan because the campus in the barangay proper is under threat of landslide.
In Barangay Inayawan, four new school buildings are expected to be finished by the end of the year.
Also, Young said the two-year high school program will continue on its second year with the adoption of the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Alternative Learning System (ALS).
He said the ALS, used in DepEd’s pilot program for out-of-school youths, is used so that the two-year high school program would already be accredited by the department.
After finishing the two-year program, students will have to undergo another year of testing before hurdling a qualifying examination that will entitle them to receive a high school diploma.
The City’s education consultant likewise reminded public school principals that although he has nothing against asking for fees from students upon enrolment, failure to pay is not a reason to turn down enrollees.
He said the Parents-Teachers Associations also needs to limit its fundraising activities, the proceeds of which are used to finance its school projects. (RHM)
